Accused: Victims were alive when I left

WHEN MURDER accused Daniel Agard left John Cropper’s house at Mt Anne Drive on Second Avenue in Cascade on December 11, 2001, murdered victims Cropper, Maggie Lee and Lynette Lichglow-Pearson were still alive. This was what the accused had said in an interview conducted by Insp David Nedd on the night of December 19, 2001, in the presence of Sgt Ancil Corbette of the Port-of-Spain Homicide Bureau of Investigations. According to Corbette, who gave evidence at the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court yesterday, Agard revealed that after a party hosted by Lichglow-Pearson on December 11, he (Agard) and a man known as “Cudjoe” had entered “the people place” and taken the three victims into the bathroom, bound and gagged them, then ransacked the house. “Cudjoe,” Agard had said, had a cutlass.

Corbette said Agard told them he had taken the stolen items and cash and placed it in Cropper’s white Honda Civic and drove to Champs Fleurs to drop off the “goods.” When he left “Cudjoe” at the Cropper’s house, Agard had said, Cropper, Lee and Pearson were still alive. Agard told the officers he later picked up “Cudjoe” at Lady Young Road in Morvant, where “Cudjoe” threw away “the knife” and told him (Agard) he had “fixed it.” It was then, Agard had said, he “realised the people were dead.” Corbette said prior to the interview, Agard had told Nedd, “Mr Nedd I know you going to charge me with this murder so let me tell you the truth.” Nedd, Corbette said, had cautioned the accused and informed him of his constitutional rights. Agard, the witness said, then volunteered that “if I ain’t tell you this, I go can’t sleep.”

After the interview, Corbette said they were joined by two other officers, and the accused directed them to Lady Young Road and pointed out an area in the bushes where he claimed “Cudjoe threw away the knife.” However, a search for the weapon proved futile. The witness said they were then directed to Mt D’Or Road in Champs Fleurs, in the vicinity of Hoyte’s Furniture Store, where he said he had parked Cropper’s car. He also pointed out an area further along the same road where he claimed “Cudjoe” lived. According to Corbette, Agard said he was unsure of the exact house and that they usually met at “Noreen’s parlour where Cudjoe sells his marijuana.”   Corbette said they then proceeded to other nearby areas and Agard pointed out the homes of “Dion, Kev, Rat and Small Micky.” Agard then requested to be taken to his sister Rachel’s house at Upper Bushe Street in San Juan to pick up a change of clothes. Before leaving his sister’s house, Corbette said, Agard pointed to an old house where he said he had “burnt the clothes on a piece of wood.”

The wood, he said, had been thrown in a ravine. When they returned to the Homicide office, the accused was allowed to take a shower and change his clothes. He was then taken to the CID office on St Vincent Street, where he was informed by Nedd of  the murders and Agard said he would give the statement the next morning. He was fingerprinted by Nedd and formally charged. At 10.55 am on December 19, Corbette said, Agard dictated the statement to Nedd in the presence of Justice of the Peace Marissa Singh. The statement of the other accused, Lester Pitman, was dictated to WP acting Cpl Pauline Phillips at 3.45 pm on the same day in the presence of Justice of the Peace Mortley Depeaza, Corbette said. Hearing resumes today.